Seminar Strengthens Intellectual Property Awareness Among Hong Kong and Guangdong Firms
On June 23, the "2011 Guangdong/Hong Kong Seminar on Intellectual Property (IP) and the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (Zhaoqing)" was held in Zhaoqing.
The seminar, entitled "Enhancing the Competitiveness of Enterprises Through IP,” targeted Hong Kong small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and Mainland of China enterprises in Guangdong Province. It aimed to strengthen enterprises' awareness of intellectual property rights protection and sharpen their competitive edge.
Speaking at the seminar's opening ceremony, the Assistant Director of Intellectual Property, Fanny Pang, said the seminar served as a platform for the SMEs to keep abreast of the latest IP developments in the region.
Ms. Pang said the seminar was intended to show SMEs in the region how they could use IP as a tool for wealth creation. “We will showcase how Hong Kong's professional IP services can help enterprises develop their competitive advantages and facilitate their exposure to the international community, as well as exchange views on how enterprises can protect their IP rights under the different legal systems of Hong Kong and the Mainland,” Ms. Pang said.
"By strengthening the concepts of IP protection, such as registration of IP in both the Mainland and Hong Kong, SMEs in the region can effectively build up their corporate image, enhance their competitiveness and create more business opportunities."
The seminar, which brought together about 200 SME representatives and government officials from Guangdong and Hong Kong, was one of the key programs in Guangdong-Hong Kong IP co-operation this year. It was organized by the Intellectual Property Department of the Hong Kong government, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Guangdong Intellectual Property Office and the Municipal Government of Zhaoqing; undertaken by the Zhaoqing Municipal Science and Technology Bureau and the Zhaoqing Municipal Intellectual Property Office; co-organized by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong; and supported by other members of the Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries.
Since 2004, Guangdong and Hong Kong have been working together to organize seminars promoting IP protection among SMEs. Similar seminars have been held successfully in cities such as Dongguan, Shaoguan, Shunde, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Zhanjiang, Zhuhai, Shantou, Zhongshan and Guangzhou.
Details of the seminar in Zhaoqing are available on the Intellectual Property Department's Web site: www.ipd.gov.hk
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